Water features on the Canal du Midi
Encyclopedia
The balancing of incoming and outgoing water allows the Canal du Midi
to operate as it does. Each time a lock operates, large quantities of water are either required to fill it or dump from it into the lower level pound
. There must be a constant source of water in order to fill and the excess water dumped must have a place to exit the canal without it overflowing. Being able to provide this water source was one of the most important problems to be solved by Pierre Paul Riquet, its creator.
In the canal's original configuration of 1687, water was provided by the Rigole de la plaine
from the River Sor and from the Bassin de Saint-Ferréol
. The Bassin de Lampy
was added later. Since the drought of 1989-1990, water can also be made available from the Lac de Montbel
.
Water leaving the canal between locks, will exit through either a weir
or a siphon
. Leaving through the weir
, the water simiply flows over the side of the canal via a stone or concrete ledge. If the water reaches a specific level, it may be siphoned off via a stone siphon
.
Canal du Midi
The is a long canal in Southern France . The canal connects the Garonne River to the on the Mediterranean and along with the Canal de Garonne forms the Canal des Deux Mers joining the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. The canal runs from the city of Toulouse down to the Étang de Thau...
to operate as it does. Each time a lock operates, large quantities of water are either required to fill it or dump from it into the lower level pound
Canal pound
A canal pound, aka reach, is the stretch of level water impounded between two canal locks. Canal pounds can vary in length from the non-existent, where two or more immediately adjacent locks form a lock staircase, to many miles....
. There must be a constant source of water in order to fill and the excess water dumped must have a place to exit the canal without it overflowing. Being able to provide this water source was one of the most important problems to be solved by Pierre Paul Riquet, its creator.
In the canal's original configuration of 1687, water was provided by the Rigole de la plaine
Rigole de la plaine
The critical feature of the Canal du Midi was to provide sufficient water to ensure that the lock system continued to function, even through the summer months. The first part of this endeavor was the rigole de la plaine . It carried water from the Sor River, at Pontcrouzet, to the...
from the River Sor and from the Bassin de Saint-Ferréol
Bassin de Saint-Ferréol
The Bassin de Saint-Ferréol was created as the result of a large earth dam across the mouth of the valley of Laudot stream at St. Ferréol in the Montagne Noire. It was originally proposed by Chevalier de Clerville and accepted by Pierre Paul Riquet as an integral part of the Canal du Midi...
. The Bassin de Lampy
Bassin de Lampy
The Bassin de Lampy was created during 1777 and 1781 when a dam was placed on the Lampy Valley in the Aude department in south-central France. The reservoir provides a source of water for the Canal du Midi...
was added later. Since the drought of 1989-1990, water can also be made available from the Lac de Montbel
Lac de Montbel
The Lac de Montbel is a reservoir 5 minutes from Chalabre, which is a popular location for watersports and swimming. It is located at Sainte-Colombe-sur-l'Hers on the border between the Ariège and Aude départements of southwestern France....
.
Water leaving the canal between locks, will exit through either a weir
Weir
A weir is a small overflow dam used to alter the flow characteristics of a river or stream. In most cases weirs take the form of a barrier across the river that causes water to pool behind the structure , but allows water to flow over the top...
or a siphon
Siphon sluice
Siphon sluices are one of the many water management devices used on the Canal du Midi to regulate the level of the water. The siphon acts as an automatic water level regulator. The épanchoir à siphon, or siphon sluice, was designed by Bertrand Garripuy Jr., the son of the chief engineer...
. Leaving through the weir
Weir
A weir is a small overflow dam used to alter the flow characteristics of a river or stream. In most cases weirs take the form of a barrier across the river that causes water to pool behind the structure , but allows water to flow over the top...
, the water simiply flows over the side of the canal via a stone or concrete ledge. If the water reaches a specific level, it may be siphoned off via a stone siphon
Siphon sluice
Siphon sluices are one of the many water management devices used on the Canal du Midi to regulate the level of the water. The siphon acts as an automatic water level regulator. The épanchoir à siphon, or siphon sluice, was designed by Bertrand Garripuy Jr., the son of the chief engineer...
.
| Code | PK Point kilométrique Point kilométrique is a French acronym used to measure distances for boundary mileage used mainly in France, on railways, highways, canals, and freeways to help locate a specific location. For example, locations on the Canal du Midi are marked in PK values.... | Name | Lat/Lon | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WS | 52.0 | Rigole de la plaine Rigole de la plaine The critical feature of the Canal du Midi was to provide sufficient water to ensure that the lock system continued to function, even through the summer months. The first part of this endeavor was the rigole de la plaine . It carried water from the Sor River, at Pontcrouzet, to the... |
43.35041°N 1.82377°E | Water from the Bassin de Saint-Ferréol Bassin de Saint-Ferréol The Bassin de Saint-Ferréol was created as the result of a large earth dam across the mouth of the valley of Laudot stream at St. Ferréol in the Montagne Noire. It was originally proposed by Chevalier de Clerville and accepted by Pierre Paul Riquet as an integral part of the Canal du Midi... reaches the canal at the Bassin de Naurouze Bassin de Naurouze The Bassin de Naurouze is an octagonal holding tank, created during the building of the Canal du Midi as designed and built by Pierre-Paul Riquet. It was abandoned a few years after construction of the canal because of its recurrent silting problems. The flow of water from the... |
| S | 68.5 | Épanchoir du Vivier Épanchoir du Vivier The Épanchoir du Vivier is a siphon for water release from the Canal du Midi immediately to the west of the triple lock of the Vivier lock.-See also:*Aqueducts on the Canal du Midi*Canal du Midi*Locks on the Canal du Midi... |
43.29763°N 1.99319°E | Near the triple locks of Vivier Lock |
| W | 75.8 | Déversoir de Villepinte Déversoir de Villepinte The Déversoir de Villepinte is a weir for water release from the Canal du Midi immediately to the west of the Mezuran Aqueduct and southwest of the village of Villepinte.-See also:*Aqueducts on the Canal du Midi*Canal du Midi*Locks on the Canal du Midi... |
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| S | 77.5 | Épanchoir de Villepinte Épanchoir de Villepinte The Épanchoir de Villepinte is a siphon for water release from the Canal du Midi immediately to the west of the single lock of the Villepinte lock and south of the village of Villepinte.-See also:*Aqueducts on the Canal du Midi*Canal du Midi... |
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| S | 92.9 | Épanchoir de Villeséque Épanchoir de Villeséque The Épanchoir de Villeséque is a siphon for water release from the Canal du Midi immediately to the west of the single lock of the Villeséquelande Lock and southeast of the village of Villesèquelande.-See also:*Aqueducts on the Canal du Midi*Canal du Midi... |
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| S | 101.8 | Épanchoir de Foucaud Épanchoir de Foucaud (siphon) The Épanchoir de Foucaud is a siphon for water release from the Canal du Midi west of Carcassonne. The waters are used for the Épanchoir de Foucaud botanical garden.-See also:*Aqueducts on the Canal du Midi*Canal du Midi*Locks on the Canal du Midi... |
Originally, the canal went around Carcassonne Carcassonne Carcassonne is a fortified French town in the Aude department, of which it is the prefecture, in the former province of Languedoc.It is divided into the fortified Cité de Carcassonne and the more expansive lower city, the ville basse. Carcassone was founded by the Visigoths in the fifth century,... at this point. There is a botanical garden of the same name, Épanchoir de Foucaud Épanchoir de Foucaud The Épanchoir de Foucaud is a small botanical garden located in Pennautier just outside Carcassonne, Aude, Languedoc-Roussillon, France. It contains a collection of Mediterranean plants set about an épanchoir of the Canal du Midi, that is, a spillway for the canal's excess water. The garden is open... . |
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| W | 106.6 | Déversoir de St-Jean Déversoir de St-Jean The Déversoir de St-Jean is a weir for water release from the Canal du Midi immediately to the east of the St-Nazaire Aqueduct and northeast of Carcassonne.-See also:*Aqueducts on the Canal du Midi*Canal du Midi*Locks on the Canal du Midi... |
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| WS | 109.0 | Rigole d'Alimentation du Fresquel | A stream provides water from Barrage de la Chaux | |
| S | 109.5 | Épanchoir de Charques Épanchoir de Charques The Épanchoir de Charques is a siphon for water release from the Canal du Midi east of the Fresquel Single Lock and southeast of the village of Villemoustaussou.-See also:*Aqueducts on the Canal du Midi*Canal du Midi*Locks on the Canal du Midi... |
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| W | 115.6 | Déversion de la Raye Déversion de la Raye The Déversoir de la Raye is a weir for water release from the Canal du Midi west of the Orbiel Aqueduct and northwest of Trèbes.-See also:*Aqueducts on the Canal du Midi*Canal du Midi*Locks on the Canal du Midi*Water features on the Canal du Midi... |
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| WS | 116.5 | l'Orbiel | Not sure exactly what this is. The reference shows the stream l'Orbiel splitting north of the canal. One side of the stream joins the canal and the other goes under the canal via the Orbiel Aqueduct Orbiel Aqueduct The Orbiel Aqueduct is one of several aqueducts on the Canal du Midi. Until its building, the canal crossed the River Orbiel on the level. A dam on the Orbiel was demolished and replaced with the Aqueduct. It was built in 1686-87 by Antoine Niquet and designed by Marshal Sebastien Vauban, It... . So, it could either be a source of water or a release path. The reference calls it the and the canal vieux. |
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| S | 119.0 | Épanchoir de Ste-Julia Épanchoir de Ste-Julia The Épanchoir de Ste-Julia is a siphon for water release from the Canal du Midi east of the triple lock of the Trèbes Lock and southeast of the village of Trèbes.-See also:*Aqueducts on the Canal du Midi*Canal du Midi*Locks on the Canal du Midi... |
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| W | 125.1 | Déversoir de Marseillette Déversoir de Marseillette The Déversoir de Marseillette is a weir for water release from the Canal du Midi east of the Mercier Aqueduct and west of Marseillette.-See also:*Aqueducts on the Canal du Midi*Canal du Midi*Locks on the Canal du Midi*Water features on the Canal du Midi... |
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| S | 140.5 | Épanchoir d'Argentdouble Épanchoir d'Argentdouble The Épanchoir de d'Argentdouble is a siphon for water release from the Canal du Midi immediately to the west of the Argent-Double Aqueduct and southeast of the village of La Redorte.-See also:*Aqueducts on the Canal du Midi*Canal du Midi... |
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| S | 167.7 | Épanchoir des Patiasses Épanchoir des Patiasses The Épanchoir des Patiasses is a siphon for water release from the Canal du Midi immediately to the west of the Cesse Aqueduct and southeast of the village of Mirepeisset.N 43.27973 E 2.91489-See also:*Aqueducts on the Canal du Midi*Canal du Midi... |